The ministry of renewable energy of the central government has given approval to UT administration to equip solar energy plants atop private houses but curtailed their number from 300 to 230.
"We received the nod last week. Public notices will be issued and if more than 230 residents opt for the facility, we will hold draw of lots," said Santosh Kumar, director, science and technology, UT and conservator of forests. Solar plants of three categories, 1 kilowatt, 2 kilowatt and 3 kilowatt, would be provided to residents as per space of houses. One kilowatt plant requires 100 square feet area and would be able to generate 1,300 to 1,400 units of electricity in a year.
"The cost of the 1KW plant will be roughly around Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.40 lakh with battery. A resident will get 30% subsidy," said Kumar, adding tenders would be advertised within a week for selecting competent companies and later impanel them from where people could buy the equipment.
Sources said more than two firms would be chosen for supplying the equipment. A team of technical wing of UT's science and technology department would first go through the specification and technical qualities of the products before allotting them tenders.
The Centre had selected Chandigarh and Nagpur as model solar cities, asking officials to equip government and private buildings with solar plants. At a panel discussion as part of TOI campaign, 'Chandigarh-Back to the Future', on June 9, UT administrator Shivraj Patil said the solar city project was a priority agenda for the administration and would be pursued aggressively.
Over half a dozen government buildings, including Paryavaran Bhawan, Burail Jail, Punjab Engineering College, government school of Sector 46 and police headquarters, have solar plants.
The department had some time back identified five government houses in Sector 7 for installing solar plants, as a pilot project.
